Pein's Awakening
by Shinobi Mi-chan
Summary: “'Kill him,” the voice says, pointing its horrible finger at Yahiko. 'Kill him or pretty here dies.'” In which Nagato makes the choice that will lead to the creation of Pein.
1. Chapter 1

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Caution: MAJOR SPOILERS FOR MANGA CHAPTER 446!!!

**a/n:** OMG I'm not dead!!!! I know you're all surprised. I'm not even in hibernation! I'm just working on this one fanfiction right now, and I swore not to post it till I'm on chapter 10.....

Eh heh heh. Gonna be a while.

Anyways, I hope you like. I really wanted to get inside Pein's head, because he's a very interesting character. I don't know whether I succeeded though.

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****Pein's Awakening**

"Kill him," the voice says, pointing its horrible finger at Yahiko. "Kill him or pretty here dies."

The knife is pressed up close against Konan's neck.

I say nothing. I can't.

The voice is not the voice of Hanzo, our ally. It's the voice of a double-crosser, traitor. Monster.

Terror brims within me. More terror than I have ever felt in my life. This is worse, far worse, than all those other times, all the other deaths, because now I am in charge.

"Do it," the monster snarls. "Just kill him and I'll let the girl go."

How dare he? How could he?

How can he ask me to do such a thing? I never would, I'm not a monster like him, it's a ridiculous, laughable notion—

"Kill me." Yahiko says. His voice is broken and harsh-sounding, but steady and determined.

He's not looking at me. His eyes bore into Konan.

I have no answer for him. I am frozen, like a small child who has not yet learned to speak.

I understand suddenly that this is real, no nightmare. Horribly, painfully real, and if I don't do something soon, someone will die.

I swore to protect them. No matter the pain it would bring.

But the only question is: who?

Who to protect?

Who to kill?

Yahiko tries to decide for me. "Do it," he says. "Do it now, Nagato. Before he hurts Konan."

"But I—" I grip my knife.

"Please," Yahiko whispers. "Please. You have to."

I unsheathe the knife.

Konan's eyes widen. "No!" She says. "Yahiko…" her voice pleads.

"I'm sorry, Konan," he mutters.

He turns towards me.

I don't know. There's nothing I can do.

I raise the knife.

Konan sobs.

I lunge.

Yahiko steps forward.

The knife pierces his skin. His shirt darkens with the liquid. Blood seeps from his mouth, like the life seeping from his body.

No.

Yahiko turns towards me, eyes unfocused. "Protect her… Nagato. Please… you promised."

He slides to the ground. So do I, taking his body in my arms.

It becomes dimly aware to me that Konan is screaming.

The full force of what I did hits me, like a blacksmith's hammer striking a sword.

Yahiko…

Yahiko. Konan.

Yahiko has always been our leader, our protector.

I don't know what we'll do, now that he's…

I can't say it. But I must.

Yahiko is dead at my feet. Yahiko's blood is on my sword.

How could I…? I had no choice, but still…

I can't look up at Konan's face, can't see the loathing and disgust I know will be there.

She will hate me. I know, because I hate myself too.

Die. Die. Just die.

It's too much, far too much, too many, and I break.

If I hadn't promised to protect Konan, I would've turned the knife on myself right then.

But I won't.

And I will protect her, and she will protect me, and we will live. Live, and grow strong.

This pain, it will heal me; morph me, into something that can create peace. Then people like Yahiko won't have to die.

No one will have to die, and there will be no hatred, no wars.

And so I stand, this new idea rising in my mind. Yahiko's death will not go to waste.

No, definitely not. Because he is more important than anything.

I will create peace.

I will create a perfect world.

It will be ruled by Pein.

And I am him.

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a/n: Dun dun dun... lulz. Please review. Did I write a good Pein?


	2. Chapter 2

a/n: Sorry for the midget chapter, but I wanted to get _something_ up before one of my friends read my stuff, lol. So just be patient.

And review.

EDIT: OMG, I POSTED THIS YESTERDAY, BUT THE STUPID COMPUTER HATES ME AND WAS LIKE "NO! I'M GONNA BE EVIL AND NOT POST IT!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

So yeah. -coughs- it's here now. :3

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After that, things were different. Konan and I took over the rebel group, but we were lost utterly lost, without Yahiko. (However, neither of us would admit it.)

Basically, life went on. Except that it didn't.

Things changed on –

_--that day that I shouted and raged and they ran before my might like tiny ants from a human._

_That day, their blood flowed like a river in crimson torrents that painted their bodies red and—_

I killed them all. Every last one.

For Yahiko. Everything for Yahiko, and Konan.

Jerking out of my reverie, I sigh and stare at my hands alternatively, and wait for Konan to awaken.

"Good Morning," she says. Her voice is emotionless.

She tries, I think. But she misses him.

I would know. So do I.

"Would you like some breakfast?" I ask, holding out a plate to her. The heartiness in my voice sounds very fake, probably because it is.

'Yes, please!" she replies, smiling.

All of our conversations are like this now. Completely devoid of emotion. Completely meaningless.

It is like a bad plat, performed by bad actors.

And with bad props too, I think, chewing a particularly tough piece of bacon. The camp isn't doing to well without Yahiko.

Which isn't to say we haven't made progress. Nearly a dozen new recruits since that fateful day—that's something to be proud of.

In fact, one of them is running up to me now, by the name of Chin or Shin or something of the sort. He's tall and skinny, with brown hair that flops over one eye; he's about my age, maybe a year younger.

Of course, no one born in this part of the world really knows their age.

Yahiko didn't even know his birthday. We would celebrate it on July 4th, which know that I think of it, is coming up soon.

Tell me, does this ache in my heart ever fade?

Thrice I've thrown my love forward without regard for the consequences. Thrice it had turned and broken me.

Maybe I should stop.

I do not know. I do not know much of anything, anymore.

Yahiko, Konan, and I were three parts of one whole. Without him, it is as if we are missing a vital part or our bodies.

My eye slide involuntarily closed and I sigh. I know I should get over Yahiko's death already, but I can't.

When a group of people has survived against the odds together, lived together and fought together, it creates a bond between them that would otherwise take years to form.

And, if someone as strong and brilliant and _alive_ as Yahiko was can disappear, then not one of us, _not one person_ is immune to the black claws of death.

"Ah… Nagato-san?" Shin says, sounding slightly concerned.

I raise my eyes to, shaking my head in an attempt to clear it of its rather morbid train of thought.

I reply to the question with an inquisitive "Hmm?'

"Kanakai'i,' Shin says, gesturing Northwest with his thumb. "There's smoke rising from it. Do you think there's been a raid?"

"Hhn..." I mutter, rising to my feet and peering in the direction Shin pointed.

"There may have been. We'll have to go check. I don't know why else there could be that much smoke… today's not a holiday, is it?"

He shakes his head: no.

Biting my lip, I spread sand on the fire, sending it to a sputtering stop.

I really hope Kanakai'i hasn't been raided, but chances are it has. Raids are fairly common occurrence nowadays.

Most are, sadly, done by our own people—groups of poor and homeless people. They're just looters, out for money, food, and other necessities; but they can be brutal if you try and stand in their way.

However, there are also raiders from opposing nations. They're groups of soldiers sent out to 'eradicate any possible threats" but what they're actually doing is killing everyone and taking their stuff. Their attacks are nearly always brutal. They also seem to take an abnormal amount of "prisoners of war" nearly all of which are female, for some strange reason.

Neither attack is pleasing to witness. If we move fast, we may be able to protect the village from the worst of the raiders.

I stand, tightening the bracers on my arms.

"Shin," I say.

"Yes, Nagato-san?"

"Raise squads three, seven and nine."

I bring my hand above my eyes to block the sun. Yes, definitely smoke there.

"We're heading out."

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a/n: review........................(this means you, averagepsychogirl)


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